Free Republic

Julian Assange is launching legal action against Ecuador, accusing its government of violating his "fundamental rights and freedoms". It comes after Ecuador cut off communications for Mr Assange, who has been living inside the country's London embassy for more than six years. WikiLeaks claims Mr Assange's access to the outside world has been "summarily cut off" and says Ecuador has threatened to remove the protection he has had since being given political asylum. This investigation has been dropped, but Mr Assange fears he could be extradited to the US over WikiLeaks' publishing of huge amounts of classified information. Lawyers for...

Incumbent Republican leads Malinowski by 3 points in AARP poll Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton) has a 38%-35% lead over Democrat Tom Malinowski among voters over 50 years of age in his close first election since winning the seat in 2008, according to a poll conducted by the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP). Green party candidate Diane Moxley had the support of 1% of the respondents. Freedom, Responsibility, Action candidate Gregg Mele was backed by 2% of the same. In New Jersey, voters tend to skew Republican as they get older. The opposite is true of young voters, who tend...

Morning Joe's word of the day was "message"—and the Democrats' lack of one with the elections only 18 days away. Mika Brezinski led the panicky charge, warning Dems that not only could they fail to retake the House or the Senate, but that their only "star" this cycle—Beto O'Rourke—could lose by 10 points! OE SCARBOROUGH: We were asked a question on Colbert: what's the Democrats' message? Who's the one Democrat who's inspired you, that's put the message together? And I will say, for once in our lives, we sat there stunned -- MIKA BRZEZINSKI: We were like "bah, bah bah...

Nearly 10,000 people showed up to the polls each day on the first and second days of early voting. The first day alone was one of the best in at least 10 years according to the election commission. Even though it's not a presidential election year, Knox County voters are swarming to the polls early -- possibly breaking a county record in the process. Generally, midterm elections see a lower-than-average voter turnout compared to presidential election years -- but this does not appear to be the case for the 2018 midterms.

Vermont State Police are investigating a threatening letter to a Republican candidate for the Vermont House of Representatives. Colchester House candidate Deserae Morin, who is running for office for the first time, received an anonymous letter in the mail to her home address on Friday. A photo of the letter sent out with the statement shows a message constructed out of cut-out letters fixed to a piece of paper. “We are hunting you. My comrades will kill you and the Constitution,” it states. The letter threatens her with sexual violence. “You will scream and know that agonizing horror,” it reads....

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. FReeper Canteen Just Hangin' Cafe Come on in, we're open Need a place just to hang out? This is it. We serve coffee, tea,or maybe a tall brew?Topped off with great conversation and music. No worries in the FReeper Canteen Just Hangin' Cafe. Grab a glass and start a conversation. You never know who you might meet in the Cafe. Glad you could join us. Enjoy your stay. Our AWESOME...

Freepers:When: Friday, October 19, 2018 at 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDTLocation: Boston MA, WBZ Studios.It can be viewed on CSPAN, and the CBS affiliate both via streaming:https://boston.cbslocal.com/ https://www.c-span.org/video/?452950-1/massachusetts-senate-debateMy guess is either Howie Carr or Jeff Kuhner of WRKO 680am will have a post debate show, I haven't confirmed it. If so go here: https://wrko.iheart.com/

White House chief of staff John Kelly and White House national security adviser John Bolton hurled expletives at one another during a loud argument outside the Oval Office on Thursday. The exchange between the two was so heated, White House aides were concerned that either Kelly or Bolton would depart their posts immediately, Bloomberg reports. Sources said the dispute began over a disagreement on how to handle the surge in border crossings, and Bolton was critical of how Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was handling her job. President Trump, who earlier in the day threatened to “close our southern border”...

Arizona Senate Candidate Kyrsten Sinema's face spoke louder than words during a March 2018 event when she described her decision to run for the State House and Senate in Arizona.Sinema was speaking at the Federation of American Hospitals Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. when she acted as if she couldn't believe she ran for office in Arizona."I wanted to make a larger impact and create lasting change for Arizona's women, seniors, veterans, families, and so I ran for the State House and State Senate," Sinema said, and while making a questioning gesture with her hand and a seemingly disgusted...

Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore was an unwitting participant in a November anti-Trump rally that was allegedly organized by the Russians indicted last week for meddling in the 2016 presidential election.According to the indictment of 13 Russian nationals released Friday by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the defendants and their co-conspirators tried to sow discord in the U.S. political system by organizing dueling rallies for and against then-President-elect Donald Trump in New York City on Nov. 12, 2016.One of those rallies, called “Trump is NOT my President,” was promoted on social media and MSNBC by Mr. Moore, who has routinely accused...

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s elections board sent to prosecutors Wednesday the case of a state House member whom investigators allege failed to report over $140,000 in campaign contributions expenditures over several years. The elections panel voted unanimously to send their findings involving Democratic Rep. Rodney Moore of Charlotte and his campaign to the Mecklenburg County district attorney for possible charges. The board decided there is “clear and convincing evidence” that false campaign reports were signed while treated under oath as complete and correct, as well as that unlawful spending of campaign contributions occurred.

In the first operation of its kind in Europe, the San Raffaele hospital in Milan has used new technology to correct the congenital defect, which affects some 20,000 babies worldwide. Doctors in Milan have successfully used a new technique to correct spina bifida in an unborn baby at 22 weeks. A team of gynecologists and neurosurgeons at the city’s San Raffaele Hospital have successfully performed the "complete neurosurgical correction of spina bifida in utero," local media reports. The condition was diagnosed at the 19th week of pregnancy, and the operation, which lasted just over two hours, was carried out three...

The President has the power, under Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, to call a special session of the Congress during the current adjournment, in which the Congress now stands adjourned ...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ ESTONIA EXERCISE Estonian and U.S. soldiers train during a combat exercise at the Estonian Central Training Area near Tapa, Estonia, April 6, 2017. The U.S. soldiers, assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, participated to boost the capabilities of the Estonian forces under the NATO-led Operation Atlantic Resolve. Army photo by Jason Johnston Canteen Mission Statement Showing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. TAPPING THE TAB A soldier touches the Ranger...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a draft of its new strategic plan for 2018-2022, and with the addition of a few small words, it’s clear that there is a major change. Formerly, the document stated the following in its introductory information: HHS accomplishes its mission through programs and initiatives that cover a wide spectrum of activities, serving Americans at every stage of life. The new edition now states this: HHS accomplishes its mission through programs and initiatives that cover a wide spectrum of activities, serving and protecting Americans at every stage of life, beginning at conception....

Ambassador Nikki Haley used the threat of a U.S. invasion of North Korea to secure a new round of sanctions against the regime last year, according to a new report. Harper’s Magazine reported that Haley raised the possibility of a U.S. invasion by telling a Chinese diplomat, “My boss is kind of unpredictable, and I don’t know what he’ll do." Haley recalled making those comments during remarks at a small gathering of people at the Council for National Policy, and as part of her effort to discourage China from vetoing additional oil sanctions on North Korea last September, following the...

Updated: 4:04 p.m. October 17, 2018 SHOREWOOD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Shorewood Police say they have investigated after a threat was made on social media to lynch black students at Shorewood High School in relation to the play "To Kill a Mockingbird" that was supposed to have a performance Wednesday night. A 17-year-old male was arrested Wednesday around 3:30 p.m. for making the post. The incident is under investigation. ------ Updated: 1:14 p.m. October 17, 2018 SHOREWOOD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The latest update from Shorewood High School is that no performance at all will happen. The decision came Tuesday...

Major General Herzi Halevi, the Commanding Officer of the IDF Southern Command, slammed the Hamas terrorist organization following the rocket attack on Be'er Sheva early Wednesday morning. "Hamas pretends to govern in Gaza, and tells the Gazan population that it seeks to improve their lives. However, in reality, Hamas specializes in riots at the border fence and in using explosive devices, incendiary and explosive balloons, and, as we saw last night, rockets," Gen. Halevi said in a statement. "Hamas worsens the lives of ordinary Gazans and last night took actions which forced us to strike a range of weapon production...

More than 300 bridges in Connecticut — carrying 4.3 million vehicles daily — are considered structurally deficient. Highways in the Bridgeport-Stamford area are so congested motorists waste 49 hours a year in bumper-to-bumper traffic. And 62 percent of Connecticut’s major roads are in such poor condition they cost motorists $681 annually in vehicle repairs, according to TRIP, a national transportation think tank. Given those challenges, the three men seeking to replace Gov. Dannel P. Malloy could be making transportation the centerpiece of their campaigns. But instead, these candidates for governor are offering mostly modest plans to fix the state’s infrastructure...

A judge unsealed the divorce file for Democratic attorney general candidate Keith Ellison and his ex-wife Kim Ellison Wednesday morning. The couple divorced in 2012. The Star Tribune and Alpha News sued to have the files released after Ellison’s ex-girlfriend claimed he abused her. Ellison has denied the allegations. The media outlets argued the public has a right to know what is in the divorce records. In the documents, Kim does not accuse Keith of physical or emotional abuse.